The choices don’t ever seem to end when it comes to buying fishing reels. Walk into any retail store that caters to fishermen and prepare to be weighed down with nearly endless reel displays. How does a novice choose what will suit their fishing needs between a variety of manufacturers, spinning reels, bait-casting reels, and numerous variations on reel designs?

The first consideration you will want to make is whether to go for a spinning reel or a bait casting reel. They have different features and depending on your needs one may be better suited to you. Bait casting reels are the ones that are generally selected for those who are bass anglers. This is because of the power they have and the option to hold a heavier line. If you’re interested in using a lighter line, you should take a look at bait casting reels first. The best way to determine which one is best for you is to practice – as silly as this might sound you can do this in your own backyard. This allows you to ensure that once you get out on the water fishing you won’t spend time fighting with knots that turn into bird’s nests and spool over-runs. Neither of them is conducive to good fishing.

Lighter lines, small lures and small bait work best on spinning reels. If you’re planning on using line that is 10-lb or less, these reels are ideal. These are used for walleye anglers and especially popular among those who love to fish for trout. The use of spinning reels by bass anglers is becoming popular as well. They’ll use these lines for some of the more clever methods of finesse such as drop shooting. The spinning reels are great for this type of sports fishing.

For saltwater fishing, the same fundamental rules are relevant, but the line diameter is usually larger seeing as most of the fish are bigger. Bait-casting reels for saltwater are more commonly known as conventional reels. Considering their advancements, conventional reels are mainly regulated to trolling and bottom fishing methods, since you do not have cast the bait or lures as far. Once more, these reels do extremely well in accommodating large diameter lines and offer excellent cranking power for conquering big fish.

Over time, reel manufacturers have developed specific models to accommodate various rods and line sizes. While spinning reels start (in size) around 1,000 and go upwards of 6,000 the overall size of the reel increases accordingly. The smaller the reel, the smaller the spool and common sense dictates the smaller the spool the smaller the line. Reels are rated for lines right on the labels and almost always have specific recommendation on exactly how much line (and what size) the reel will accommodate.

Bait-casting reels for freshwater and light saltwater are typically numbered with a three-number sequence such as 100, 200, and so on. Higher numbers are frequently used, but the common naming rule is usually a three-digit number. Conventional reels appear to use a two-digit number like 30, 40 and 50 customarily. The same idea that increasing the number increases the size is still relevant. The reel or reel box should be clearly marked with line rating and line diameter suggestions.

These handy tips should help you find the right reel for your needs. Keep in mind that selecting a fishing reel resembles finding the correct golf club. Like you would not choose a 5-wood to do a pitching wedge’s job, mull over what job your reel needs to do in order to make the best decision.

When choosing your reel make sure you do your research, some of the most popular reels include: Penn Reels Fishing, and Shimano Fishing Reels including Shimano Spinning Reels.